Category: Review

A brand new show, with familiar faces are back on Tuesday’s this winter on Freeform. The Fosters spin-off, Good Trouble follows along adopted sisters, Mariana Adams Foster (Cierra Ramirez) and Callie Adams Foster (Maia Mitchell) in their post-college life, which has lead them to Los Angeles. The heart of the show is the strength in sisterhood, but what’s really captivating are the diverse characters and story lines. It’s refreshing to see a show about 20-something year olds accurately reflect today’s world. The first episode covers the not so pretty reality of living in a commune, sexism in the workplace and social injustice. The pilot starts off light hearted then quickly hits with a harsh reality check as the girls are hit with a hefty parking violation and the loss of all their belongings, all while having to navigate their new home and first day at work with what’s left on their backs.Mariana finds herself as a software engineer at a startup, facing moments of doubt and humiliation, but quickly asserts herself in true Mariana fashion. Meanwhile, Callie scores her first clerkship with someone who is known as a rather conservative judge and is faced with following her heart or following the law. The ladies no longer have their home and momma’s to fall back on for support, but they do have each other and their newfound communal family. The episode ends on the sisters drinking wine and catching their roomate in a rather revealing development. Some prominent elements are the writing, acting, music score and cinematography (directed by Jon M. Chu.) The show is perfect for long time followers of The Fosters who craved more, while being interesting and fresh enough for new fans to easily get hooked. While The Fosters was a show with no filter, Good Trouble kicks it up a few notches. The show is raunchier and sexier, as it features quite a few steamy scenes and the women unapologetically embracing themselves, their sexuality and sensuality. Don’t expect the series to shy away from social topics either. It’ll come in hot and hit the bullseye. It’s truly the right dose of Good Trouble we all need.

M A N I A and Lake Effect Kid by Fall Out BoyThese two records redefined Fall Out Boy’s sound entirely. The band entered 2018 by introducing a synthesized sound to their music and ultimately expanding their genre from punk rock to alternative pop/rock. In contrast to their previous albums, M A N I A has simpler lyrics, but still masterfully paints a beautiful picture of the emotions the quartet is portraying. While Lake Effect Kid is technically ten years old, the official release of the songs also brings to light FOB’s new sound by combining the vibe from frontman Patrick Stump’s solo record Soul Punk with a sound that’s bolder and louder than the band’s first six studio albums. Fall Out Boy’s musical development continues to impress their fans (even the die-hard pre-hiatus ones), so I’m excited to see what they produce in the coming years.

Oh Jonathan by Emily KinneyKinney’s third full length album was instrumentally experimental compared to her first two records, which primarily used acoustic instruments. Oh Jonathan introduced an electronic vibe to Emily’s repertoire, widening her audience to those who didn’t just know her as Beth Greene on The Walking Dead. This album tells her many stories of love, heartbreak, and her ever-growing self-confidence, and is easily her best lyrical work to date. Not only did she transform her studio sound, but she took her creative mind and a full band on tour this fall, and adapted a rock sound to Oh Jonathan, giving the sweet ballads an edgier tone. Emily Kinney balances her musical career with an active acting career, so her releases are few and far between, but always so worth the wait. To hear more from her, make sure to follow her duo band The Sweetheart Deal, too.

Singular Act I by Sabrina CarpenterWith the release of her third studio album, Sabrina Carpenter continued her musical EVOLution by incorporating some R&B sounds to her record. For the first time, she featured another artist on one of her tracks. The addition of UHMEER on her song “Hold Tight” took her music to a whole new level and truly made Singular Act I stand out from her previous records. Carpenter experimented with different styles of mixing and synthesized production to create her own unique sound that still possesses elements of mainstream pop music. Along with her musical transformation, Sabrina is making a personal metamorphosis as she matures with her music and opens up about her desire to find love and intimacy. Singular Act II, to be released in early 2019, is sure to be just as stunning as Act I.

Ten Years (Deluxe) by Aly & AJAfter ten long years of waiting, fans of sister duo Aly & AJ were finally blessed with new music. The appropriately named record Ten Years features six brand new jams and two live recordings of their songs “Take Me” and “Promises”. Refreshed and rejuvenated, Aly & AJ are showcasing some drastic changes to their sound, which now not only utilizes piano synth, but some vocal effects as well. The sisters’ combined excitement over leaping back into the music scene definitely promises more iconic releases in the near future, despite these busy bees working on their separate TV shows iZombie and The Goldbergs.

After Laughter by ParamoreAnd finally, an album that still sits near and dear to me well over a year after its release is Paramore’s After Laughter. Even though lead singer Hayley Williams declared this era of Paramore officially over, this record will remain one of my favorites for years to come. It accurately portrays the many emotions that life has to offer, most namely sadness and depression, and normalizes those feelings. The lyrics connect with the fans on such a deep and personal level that they offer comfort and support when listeners are feeling lonely, scared, hopeless, and worthless. Paramore perfectly executed an instrumentally innovative and relatable record, and set themselves up for further success for their next album.

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By Paula Araujo

Expectations By Hayley KiyokoAfter appropriately dubbing this year as #TwentyGayteen, it was only right for Hayley Kiyoko to finally release a full length album. It’s no surprise that the album has had much success and lead her from selling out club venues to performing alongside Taylor Swift twice and scoring a VMA. Her debut record is so finely crafted and vulnerable making it easy for any listener to find each track incredibly relatable. From the catchy dance tracks like “Curious” to the big mood in “Feelings” this album definitely captures all the feels.

Youngblood by 5 Seconds of Summer
The highly anticipated third studio album by these fellow Aussie’s did not disappoint. The record is incredibly captivating from beginning to end with an eclectic sound. This indie rock direction was the perfect move for them. The album radiates on every single level and takes risks while remaining completely authentic to both sound and lyrics The self-titled track is an anthem in itself while the rest of the album doesn’t fall far from that line either. It’s definitely work they should be proud of.

Living Proof by State ChampsNew York natives State Champs delivered on their latest album. This record showed a lot of growth on the band’s front musically, vocally and lyrically. Any listener becomes hooked as the record starts with these lyrics, “So what’s it mean, when every dream I haves about you now?” The sound is amplified much throughout this record and contains all the elements for a great pop punk record. It’s Living Proof that pop punk is still good.

Thank You For Today by Death Cab for CutieWith the release of lead single “I Dreamt We Spoke Again” it was clear that this record was going to be filled with the essence that old school fans have always loved while also sounding refreshing. To maintain their essence after all these years is truly impressive. Overall, the album has the classic mellow sound they’re known for while also containing a beautiful calming cinematic vibe. There is growth, warmth, and nostalgia all over this. Seth Cohen would love this record.

Pray for the Wicked by Panic! at the DiscoJust when you thought things couldn’t get better after the epic album that was Death of A Bachelor, Brendon Urie knocked it out of the park with this one. After his stint on Broadway in Kinky Boots, this album is filled with theatrical elements and each note is jam packed. This record thrives on catchy tunes, cheeky lyrics and powerhouse vocals. You’re filthy as charged, Urie.

Lovely Little Lonely by The MaineA year late on this train and I’m glad I finally found it, or better yet, it found me. This is a brilliantly cohesive record. It’s beautiful, honest, and vivid. It hits you in the feels and you easily get ‘Lost in Nostalgia’ while also somehow accurately capturing ‘The Sound of Reverie.’ I don’t know how they did it so damn well, but they hit the bullseye with this entire record.

Sabrina Carpenter continues her musical evolution with the debut of her third, full length record Singular Act I. This album features 8 brand new songs that refine Carpenter’s ever-changing sound. Through Act I, she takes you on a journey to Paris and Le Louvre, proclaims her desire for intense love and affection, and shows off her confidence with two show-stopping numbers. Sabrina takes risks she’s never taken before, tells about parts of her life she’s never explicitly told before, and ultimately breaks out of her Disney Channel shell. Singular Act I as a whole is a coming-of-age album and should be treated just like a precious diamond.

Act I opens with the very first single off this record, “Almost Love.” This anthem introduces an edgier side of Sabrina’s craft. While her sound is still relatively pop, there’s a taste of R&B shining through in this song, and in the rest of the album. “Almost Love” tells a story of restlessness and excitement, and perfectly sets the vibe for the rest of Act I. There are elements of desire and uncertainty strewn across the lyrics as Carpenter decides once and for all she’s done waiting around for love to slowly blossom. Falling in love makes her nervous and antsy, the exact same way she feels before hitting the stage to start a show, but that sort of exhilaration is what she craves most in a relationship.

However, sometimes Sabrina isn’t always aware of the love she already has. “Paris” describes her inability to see the love that is waiting for her at home in Los Angeles. When trying to find love in the romantic city of Paris, France, she realizes her mistake and through the native language, she professes her love for this boy back in SoCal:

“Hold Tight” is Carpenter’s first song to feature the vocals of another artist, and flawlessly showcases the maturity of both herself and her music. She pleads for an intimate love that’s a little more private, a little more stay-at-home, and subtly expresses her sensuality. UHMEER’s appearance takes “Hold Tight” to another level and could successfully bring it to mainstream radio. Instrumentally, this track bounces back and forth between having a rhythmic, slow grind, to having a quicker, staccato beat. In fact, Carpenter’s friend Joey King perfectly described the feel of this song.

Sabrina breaks away from the sappy romance stories to bring us a love ballad for herself. “Sue Me” is an empowering song about moving on from a previous relationship without losing sight of oneself. It teaches self-love in the sassiest way possible, and makes for a great jam to sing to in the car. The track is heavy with synthesized production and has common themes with Demi Lovato’s own vengeful song “Sorry Not Sorry,” but still stands alone as Sabrina’s unique, contemporary R&B sound.

Singular Act I slows down and mellows out with “prfct,” another song revealing Carpenter’s need to feel something more than just love. She wants lust and heartbreak, anger and pain. She doesn’t want a perfect relationship; she wants a prfctly imperfect one that sits on the edge of being scandalous and distressful. The most compelling part of this track is Carpenter’s use of vocal layering, which gives the song a fractured vibe. There are pieces of lyrics echoing around the chorus and bridge, like fragments of thoughts trying to fit into a cohesive sentence. The production of the song presents itself as imperfect and scattered, like the kind of love and intimacy that Sabrina yearns for.

The third single release from Singular is “Bad Time,” another saucy and savage song where Sabrina seeks her revenge on a boy who constantly rejected her in the past. She promises that if he ever contacts her again, she’ll be using his favorite line “it’s a bad time for a good time” against him. The song itself is poppy and fun to sing along to, bringing the album back up to a dancy tempo before jumping into “Mona Lisa.”

Much like the actual painting, Sabrina has her eyes set on someone who isn’t making the first move. She’s waiting patiently for him to introduce himself, tell her she’s beautiful, give her attention, and then take her home, but she senses some hesitation from him. Again, this song exhibits very rhythmic, staccato-like vocals that give it the R&B feel. “Mona Lisa” contrasts with “Paris” by flipping the plot and putting the ball in the other person’s court. The songs have common themes and even take place in the same city, but Sabrina plays opposite roles in each song. “Mona Lisa” could almost be a prequel to “Paris” because at first she’s trying to find love in Paris, and then she realizes she has love in Los Angeles.

And finally, Act I comes to an extravagant and dramatic close with “Diamonds Are Forever.” With this track, Sabrina Carpenter confidently declares that she doesn’t just give away her love. She compares herself and her love to a diamond, meaning that she’s precious and timeless, and no amount of money could buy her time and affection. The vibe of this song is similar to Rihanna because of how huge the vocals are. The sound is big, well-rounded, and a perfect finale piece to Singular Act I.

Lucky for us, Singular Act II will be released in early 2019, so this little intermission won’t be too long for the Carpenters.

Catch Sabrina as a part of iHeartRadio’s annual Jingle Ball tour for the holidays. For a full list of tour dates, please visit www.sabrinacarpenter.com.